All My Life
by DeMarcos
Summary: A quick trip to the Other Side awakens a forgotten memory, sending DG and Glitch into each others' minds to unveil their deep past connection. DGxGlitchAmbrose UPDATED 11-6-2011.
1. All My Life

Title: All My Life

Author: DeMarcos

Pairing: DG/Glitch

Summary: A return trip home stirs up long forgotten memories and emotions.

Notes: Huh... I started out with a clear plot in mind, then halfway through the encore on Sunday, it changed courses on me! Mucho gracias to Lady of the Willows for taking time from her evil, devious Torchwood arc to beta this for me! Still not looking, chica! As previously stated, my creative processes are not fueled by reviews, but they do boost my already over inflated ego. It's pretty much carry-on at this point, I swear... Anyhoo, enjoy!

* * *

DG's feet thumped softly against the hard earth as she landed and she took in a deep, centering breath. Tornadoes were definitely _not_ the way to travel. Behind her, she heard three similar thumps and a grunt. She turned to look at her traveling companions with a tiny smile. Cain was standing up, back ramrod straight as he scanned the area with an arched eyebrow while Raw helped Glitch to his feet. With the combined effort of DG, Azkadellia, and a cavalcade of alchemists, Glitch's marbles had finally been set back into his zippered head, but he was still getting used to all his synapses firing off correctly.

It also seemed that since undergoing the procedure, Glitch had developed something akin to split personality disorder. On one side, he was Ambrose, dour but genial with a dry wit that came with years of being a royal adviser. Then there was Glitch, full of humor and endless flights of fancy that DG had grown so accustomed to since her arrival in the O.Z. He could be mid-sentence as Ambrose and his head would jerk a little and he'd forget where he was or what he had just been doing. Once, right after the surgery, DG and he had been walking down the hall, the princess planning to take him out for a short walk, when his knees suddenly gave out from under him and he crumpled to the ground in a heap of loose limbs. Since then, DG has been by his side constantly, helping him get reacquainted with his brain.

When they had talked to the alchemists, they simply said that going for years without most of his brain, combined with the conditions the witch had kept it in had had some unforeseen side effects. They reassured everyone that with time, hopefully the personalities would merge somewhat to form a more cohesive mental state.

She smiled at Glitch and Raw as they got situated, DG began trudging through the tall grains toward the farmhouse. "Come on, guys, the house is up this way."

After getting things settled in the O.Z., rounding up the rest of the Longcoats and restoring the Tin Man order, DG requested that she be able to return to the Other Side to collect a few personal items before establishing her new life as Princess DG. It was still all so new to her and she was looking forward to being home, even if it was just for a short time.

Glitch and Raw jogged up to walk in step with her while Cain stayed a few feet behind them, keeping a sharp eye out on their surroundings. DG turned on her heel, continuing to walk backwards towards the house as she peered back at the tin man.

"You know, I highly doubt that the scarecrow is going to climb down off his post and maim us to death." She pointed to the right, where the old scarecrow was hanging listlessly on his perch, wide brimmed hat covering its brown potato sack face, and obviously not doing his job, as a crow was resting on his shoulder.

Glitch spun round to see what she was indicating and gasped softly. "How could you put someone up there like that?" he asked incredulously, changing direction to go help it down off the post.

DG grabbed his hand, pulling him back to her and laughed. "He's not real, Glitch! He's just stuffed with hay and newspaper." She threaded her fingers with his and led him through the field while he went on and on about how it was cruel to just tie people up and leave them to the crows. But once he realized she was holding his hand, he blushed and quickly closed his mouth with an audible snap. Cain and Raw shared a knowing look between them as they trailed behind the pair, while Glitch and DG were oblivious.

As the farmhouse came into view, DG took hold of Raw with her other hand and all but dragged them both up the driveway and up the porch steps. She stopped suddenly at the front door, apprehension filling her. DG had grown up in this house, had wonderful memories tied to the old place, and this was to be the last time she ever stepped foot here. She looked at the chairs set up at the other end of the porch where her dad would rock her slowly and tell her stories about Milltown while her mother would sit opposite them and knit. Old memories began to overwhelm her, threatening to make her cry, but DG shook her head clear. In her teens, she had insolently referred to them as her parental units. In hindsight, there was no better definition for them.

Cain came up behind her and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Be strong, kiddo." DG tilted her head back and smiled sadly. Never one to mince words or waste breath on useless sentiments, she always took what did slip past his lips to heart. DG breathed in deeply, stuck her hand out to grasp the knob and opened the door. She slowly stepped into the familiar hallway, the ingrained smell of old hardwood flooring and years of a loving household assaulted her senses and took her a moment to get her bearings straight.

The place was still a mess from the attack by the Longcoats and they all had to step over the felled bookcases and debris to get into the main room. DG took it all in, damage and all, before turning to her friends.

"Okay, you guys can look around real quick while I grab my things. Just try not to break anything, okay? Well… Try not to break anything _else_."

Glitch chuckled as Raw nodded his head before directing his attention to the fireplace mantle, where multiple picture frames were adorned atop it, her childhood on display for them to see. DG then hasted up the stairs, into the attic.

She had to fight her way through the remains of the oak bureau, walking away with a few cuts and scrapes as she made her way past. She smiled sadly as she took in her old room, all the clutter and odds and ends that had been her life. Bending down to pick up a stray teddy bear, she clutched it to her chest tightly as she walked around slowly. Sunlight streamed in through the windows brightly, little dust bunnies floating lazily in the beams of light.

DG sat down on the bed and tried to hold back the tears.

* * *

Cain whistled as he peered at Hank's gun rack, which he'd found in a large cabinet. Four long shotguns rested on the wooden pegs and he was sure that they were more powerful than any conventional weapon in the O.Z. He contemplated asking DG if he could possibly take one back with him, but at that moment Glitch shrieked as a high pitched noise filled the room. Cain turned around sharply, fingers gripping his sidearm as Glitch stumbled backward and fell to the floor. The noise was coming from a black box sitting in the middle of the room.

Images ran across the screen as loud music spilled out from the speakers. A small scantily clad woman was shown on the screen, warbling out an off key song while a group of people danced behind her. Raw crept over to the screen and poked it with a finger. The image didn't move and Glitch managed to pull himself to his feet and look down at the strange box.

"It's some kind of viewing screen." He bent down, listening to the tiny woman for a moment before turning back to Cain and Raw. He knew that the witch had some kind of technology like this, but it was still strange to him. It was more common to have images projecting out to the viewer in a more interactive form.

Glitch squinted at the box as the image shifted from the woman to a large audience in front of her. "This seems to be an entertainment device for the Other Siders." He pressed another button on the box and the screen went blank. Now wary of the device, Glitch joined Raw at the fireplace, far away from the strange box. Raw was holding a thin golden frame in his paws and when Glitch leaned over to look at it, he tilted it towards him. In it, DG looked to be fifteen annuals and she was dressed in a pale blue dress, her long brown hair thrown back in a messy bun. She was standing next to a rail thin boy in a black tuxedo, his hair standing in a thousand directions, wearing thick spectacles, and they were both surrounded by large cutouts of snowflakes.

A thin smile stretched across her features while the boy next to her just looked shocked to be at her side. Cain stepped up behind them and looked at the picture over their shoulders. He let out a sharp chuckle and glanced at Raw.

"Look familiar?" Cain jerked his head to Glitch, who just appeared confused. Raw nodded at this and set the picture back on the mantle. Raw perused the other pictures while Cain went back to check the rest of the house out.

Glitch's body was given a slight jolt and in the few lucid moments this gave him, he decided to head up the stairs after DG.

He poked his head in each door on the second floor searching for DG before he heard the floorboards creak above him. Glitch saw a broken door hanging on its hinges and peered up the stairs. Slowly making his way past the destroyed dresser, he stepped up into the attic and saw DG sitting on the window seat, clutching a stuffed animal, tears spilling down her cheeks. He quietly walked over to her and joined her on the seat, throwing an arm over her shoulder. She bent her head to Glitch's chest and continued to weep.

"All my life, I knew that there was more out there in the world than this and now that I know it's all true, all I want to do is stay here. Ride my bike and work that dead end job at the diner." Glitch ran his hand over her back gently, trying to console her. He could feel her tears begin to wet his shirt, but he had no words to help. He cursed his brain for abandoning him at such an important time. He was supposed to be an _adviser_ for goodness sakes and he couldn't even do that when it was needed most.

DG sniffled loudly and burrowed her head further into Glitch's chest.

"I'm just so scared of what's going to happen once we get back to the O.Z. There is so much to do and I've never felt so small and helpless then when I think of what needs to be done there. It's just too much, too fast."

Glitch stood up sharply and DG gasped at the movement as she rocked back into the window frame. He looked around the attic wildly for a moment and when he saw DG, he frowned.

"I forgot what I was doing," he explained simply. DG grinned through the tears and grasped his hand once more. "Oh, princess! Why are you crying? You should be so happy. You've been reunited with your family after so many annuals and your future is so bright, it hurts to look at you." DG arched an eyebrow in confusion at his rambling. "No, it really hurts!" Glitch shut his eyes and DG saw that the sun shining through the windows had shifted its angle and was now beaming directly in his face.

Her laughter filled the room and somewhere in him, he knew that whatever was wrong with him wasn't necessarily a bad thing if it could keep DG happy. With a thin finger, he wiped the tears off her cheeks and pulled her up off the window seat.

"So come on! Get your things so we can get back home."

Fresh energy running through her, she searched around for a bag while Glitch closed the blinds letting the light through. Finally coming across a large military surplus duffle, she began to throw in the bare necessities. Several of her favorite shirts and pants were folded into it, along with her fluffy red slippers, a few trinkets from her limited gentlemen callers, her photo album and the teddy bear she had been holding on to.

Three or four more items went in before she zipped it up quickly with a snap of her wrist. She saw Glitch wince a little at the action and her heart sank miserably. The alchemists had told them that if they removed the zipper adorning his cranium that a lot of scalp would have to go with it and it would leave a large and ugly scar. Glitch quickly opted to leave the zipper there and had clutched at his head for a few moments in fear.

"Hey, help me pull these drawings down."

He nodded sharply, glad to not be thinking about zippers anymore and crossed the room to carefully pull down the fragile sheets of paper off the slanted walls. Glitch recognized some of the drawings of Finaqua and Central City as he rolled them up and handed them to DG.

She had stopped at one and was staring at it intently. "Hey Glitch, check this one out."

Curious, he joined her and gazed down at the drawing her hands. In it, a little girl sat on a swing as a tall thin man with dark hair pushed her. The girl had a wide grin on her face as her toes threatened touch the sky. DG pointed a finger and turned her head to Glitch.

"That's you!" she exclaimed. Glitch raised his eyebrows and squinted at the picture.

"I think I remember that." He stared hard for a while, brow furrowing in thought before he jolted violently, then straightened up and looked DG in the eyes, voice soft with regret. "I did, but the harder I thought about it the more it wanted to run away. Sorry."

DG patted his shoulder gently, understanding etched over her face. "It'll come to you. And when it does, I want to be the first to know."

Glitch grinned at her and flushed brightly. They quickly pulled down the rest and placed all the rolled papers in a thin rucksack picked from the mess of her room. DG found her sketchbook and put that in there was well. Pulling Glitch by the hand, she made to lead them downstairs when movement outside the window caught her eye.

"Oh man, today so isn't my day."

DG thundered down the stairs loudly, bags flying out behind her and Glitch following in her wake. Raw blinked up at her entrance and sensed the dread rolling off of her in waves.

"DG scared?" he asked as she used the post at the end of the railing to slingshot herself down the hallway and into the kitchen. Cain pulled out his revolver and glanced out the window at the driveway. A car unlike anything he had ever seen was rolling up to the house. DG ran past them again, now holding a cream colored jar in her arms. She raced to the door and stopped abruptly, turning back to her friends, panting slightly from all the running around.

"No matter what happens, I need you to stay inside! No matter what, you hear?" She then bolted out the door. Cain, Raw, and Glitch gathered around the bay windows to see what was going on outside. A well built man with dark hair got out of the car and was sauntering up to DG, who had descended the stairs into the yard and was now tapping her foot impatiently, radiating boredom and aggravation at being bothered. Cain saw the glint of sunlight spark off a star on his chest. A lawman of the Other Side. He really didn't want to know what DG had done to warrant a visit from the law. The door was standing open and they could only just make out what DG and the officer were saying.

"Well well, seems like I finally have a reason to haul you in, DG. You didn't pay your ticket on time, missy."

DG sighed and continued to tap her foot. "Sorry, Elmer. Had a family emergency and I had to race out of town. But look." She opened up the jar and pulled out a wad of cash. "I have the money to pay it off right here. So I'll just give this to you and we can put this all behind us."

Elmer shook his head and pulled out his handcuffs. "No dice, DG. You have a warrant on you now, so I have to bring you in."

DG backed up a step and held the jar out to him placatingly. "See, I can't really be arrested right now. That family emergency is still going on and I need to leave town for a while."

A smirk danced across Officer Gulch's face as he took the jar from DG and tossed it aside. "Attempting to flee custody, eh?" He tsked, grabbed DG by her elbow and pushed her up against the hood of his car.

As Elmer patted her down, DG could only shake her head. This was not going well at all. When the handcuffs were slid around her wrists, DG figured that she was never coming back here anyhow, so she threw caution into the wind. "Cain!" The words had barely left her lips when the screen door crashed open and the tin man came rushing down the porch steps, weapon drawn. Raw and Glitch exited behind him, but stayed back on the porch. Elmer saw them and hastily reached for the service pistol on his hip, but Cain cocked the hammer back on his revolver, causing Gulch to pause.

DG took up the smirk that had fallen off the officer's face. "You might want to unlock these cuffs, Elmer, or he's gonna get slightly trigger happy." Elmer's eyes widened a bit, then slowly, he pulled the keys from his belt and removed the handcuffs from DG's wrists. Once this was done, she bent over and retrieved the jar from the ground. Her parents had kept a stash of money hidden away just for emergencies and this was definitely an emergency. She didn't know how much was actually in the jar, but she wouldn't be needing it anymore anyway. DG thrust the jar into Gulch's hand.

"That's to pay my ticket. Keep the rest for yourself or donate it, I don't really care." Elmer just stood there with his mouth open as DG walked over to Cain. Raw and Glitch walked down the stairs and joined their companions. DG patted Cain's shoulder. "Keep an eye on him. I'm going to conjure back the Travel Storm." Cain simply nodded his head, blue eyes sharp as he kept his pistol trained on the officer. DG walked about fifty yards away from the house and closed her eyes.

Summoning the magic like Tutor had instructed, she spun her right hand and the wind began to pick up. Hair whipping around her face, she held steady and focused on forming and shaping the cyclone. She felt more than she heard the others come up behind her and with a final flick of her wrist, the cyclone formed, turning the sky black and gray. DG reached out her hands and Glitch latched on, giving her fingers a slight squeeze. Raw took the other, Cain grabbing a hold of him and they leapt into the Travel Storm.

In the back of her mind, DG bid her old life a sad goodbye.

* * *

Later on that night, DG sat out on one of the many stone benches lining the gardens, newly planted seedlings pushing desperately out of the soil and upward into the sky. Azkadellia had been adamant about restoring the look and beauty of the O.Z. and had called in countless gardeners, horticulturists and growers to plant numerous shrubberies, flowerbeds and creeping ivy. The papay fields were now lush with saplings and the dirt and grime that once cluttered the land was all but gone.

She had the numerous scrolls containing her artwork scattered around her, three in particular occupying her attention. One was the drawing of Glitch pushing DG's younger self in the swing. The others were Glitch presenting DG and Azkadellia with two bouquets of flowers and Glitch carrying DG on his shoulders. In all three of them, there was this expression of total devotion on Glitch's face and she was always smiling and laughing in them.

DG has known that Glitch had been a fixture in her life before she had been sent away, but these pictures were telling her that he had been a dear friend while he had been in service to her mother. It made her heart clench because in Kansas, she never really had a lot of close friends. Even at the diner, her coworkers had kept a friendly distance. But here was Glitch, who was apparently her next closest friend besides her sister and even after many years apart and his brain being removed, somehow that sense of closeness and camaraderie had remained through the personality shift.

Looking back now, she recalled how easy it had been befriending Glitch once they had escaped from the ankle biting Eastern Guild. There had been none of that early uncomfortable feeling she usually got when she met someone new. It had just flowed seamlessly between them, as simple as breathing.

_'Maybe that's why I never really had a best friend. The position had already been filled.'_

DG picked up her sketchbook and was flipping through it when she heard steps behind her. "Good evening, princess." DG smiled and cleared some room on the bench, rolling up the drawings quickly and placing them into the rucksack.

"Evening, Ambrose. What are you doing out here?"

He sat down next to DG and tapped a finger to his chin. "I seem to vaguely recall consoling you earlier, though I don't remember why. I just wanted to make sure you are doing all right." He dropped his hand to rest on his leg and DG placed hers over his pale fingers. Ambrose smiled at the contact and turned his head to look DG in the eye.

"Not really, but I'm feeling better, thanks to you."

Ambrose smiled and then pointed to the drawings DG had tucked away. "I also recall seeing a drawing of me. Might I have a look?" DG pursed her lips, debating for a moment before she reached down to retrieve the bag. Pulling the three pieces out, she unrolled them one at a time over their laps. He took in a deep breath and pointed to the one of him handing the little princess flowers.

"I remember that! You and Azkadellia had seen a woman from the court receiving flowers from a suitor and were extremely jealous that no one had ever given you a bouquet. So I went down to the gardens and tried to make the most beautiful combinations of flowers for the two most beautiful princesses. Azkadellia knew what I was doing but you were still so excited about it."

Ambrose tilted his head away from DG, lost in a long ago memory. DG stared at him with the most brilliant smile and when he turned back, he saw her expression and his cheeks flashed a lovely shade of pink. She pulled that drawing away, revealing the one of DG on his shoulders. Ambrose nodded his head and jabbed the paper with his finger.

"Oh yes! Your father was teaching Azkadellia to ride horseback but your mother had said that you were too young to learn. You were crying your little heart out as they rode away and the Queen couldn't console you at all. I happened across you both and she looked to me for help. So I picked you up, threw you on my back and took you everywhere you wanted to go. When your father and sister returned, you boasted that your steed was better than any in the land."

DG laughed at this, never knowing she had the potential to be so precocious. Seeming to read her thoughts, Ambrose continued. "You were such a little crystal droplet of effulgence and wit. Your parents always had quite the time keeping up with you." He quieted for a moment and his shoulders gave a slight jerk. DG saw him take a deep breath in and let it out slowly before looking back at her. "Sorry. Still trying to keep up a thin veneer of formality but I seem to be fighting against it."

Ambrose pulled away the sheaf of paper to reveal the last drawing of her on the swing as DG once more rested her head on his shoulder, arms enveloping around him loosely. She saw him stare at the picture as he had in her attic earlier and felt him twitch again under her. DG knew he was fighting to recall the memory that had eluded him earlier but had no clue as to why this one was taunting him so.

"Uhm, this was right before the witch took over Azkadellia. Your mother was meeting with some important dignitaries. Tutor was with your sister and your father..." He paused, trying to grasp at the ethereal vapors of the memory. "I think he was in Central City, but I can't remember why. Anyway, you were out on the swing and your feet couldn't touch the ground, so you weren't able to propel the swing up. I... ah, was trying to capture the attentions of someone. Her name escapes me, a palace seamstress, perchance. But she had turned away my advances quite loudly and rudely.

"We happened to be near you and when she walked off, you called out to me. When I came over, you took my hand and said that the mean lady didn't deserve me anyway." DG laughed against his shoulder and peered down at the faces on the paper as Ambrose began to tap his shoe, trying to contemplate what had happened after that.

"You said she didn't deserve me anyway and then you asked me to push you in the swing. Of course I could never deny you anything, so I started to push. You then offered to get Azkadellia to help you put newts in her bed and in her hair. I stopped when you said that and the swing came back down and knocked me over. I fell back and you jumped off and rushed over to me. You asked if I was okay and all I could wonder is why you would do something like that to the woman. You just smiled brightly and said that you loved me and would do anything to protect me."

DG sat up at this and gazed into Ambrose's eyes. "I said that?" He nodded, a bemused smile on his face and DG tried to find the memory in her own mind. Unsuccessful, she shook her head. "Well, it's true, you know. You guys are all my closest friends and I wouldn't know what would happen or what I would do if I lost any of you." DG then took Ambrose's face in her hands and pressed a light kiss to his lips.

Like a bolt of lightening, images began to pour into her mind at an alarming rate. A younger version of herself sat in his lap, twirling a strand of his neatly coiffed hair in her tiny fingers as he read to her. Dance lessons that left his toes thoroughly stepped on but satisfaction and pride bursting through him when she learned all the moves perfectly. From outside her vision, she could see that her palms were glowing brightly from their connected flesh. Unique toys presented to her for absolutely no reason other than to see her smile. Picking apples from an orchard, an impromptu contest to see who could gather the most. A kiss pressed to her cheek when stories flooded the palace about a seamstress waking up screaming, slippery newts and salamanders covering her face.

DG tried to force herself out of Ambrose's mind, the deluge of images too much for her. She saw Ambrose approach her mother, informing her of Azkadellia's take over. He questioned about her power, anything to stop the chaos approaching. The Queen shook her head, telling him she had given her power up to save another. Her angel. Realization hit him sharply, her words confirming that her youngest daughter was still alive. Hope sprang up in his heart, drowning out the sorrow that had filled it with her death, but the appearance of Azkadellia distracted him from the happy news.

The feeling of familiarity overwhelmed her as she saw them running away from the Eastern Guild. Something about this strange girl reminded him of someone lost to him. Saw with aching enchantment at the girl who was so fearlessly attempting to bring down the evil sorceress. The dread of losing something recently found once more when they were separated in the Northern Islands. The upmost pride in the young woman who ended years of tyranny in the O.Z.

His friend. Someone he cared for deeply.

With a loud yelp, DG was flung back off the stone bench and she landed on her rump, groaning at the shot of pain that lanced up her spine. She raised her hand to her mouth and was awestruck at what had just occurred. An instant later, Cain and two others from the palace security detail came into view. DG realized how bad it must have all looked when she saw Cain narrow his eyes at the scene before him.

Ambrose was still seated on the bench, wearing a look of shock, confusion and shame on his features. DG had landed about three feet from him, her legs drawn up to her chest, hand over her face and her eyes as wide as saucers. Cain cautiously walked over to DG and lifted her up off the ground, his eyes never leaving Ambrose. His head jolted slightly and then he looked up at DG and Cain staring at him.

"Hi! Lovely night for a stroll, don't you think?" He glanced back and forth between them, then made a silent 'oh' sound. "It happened again, didn't it?" When they nodded, Glitch smacked his head with his palm.

Cain turned to DG as Glitch chastised himself. "Is everything okay here with Zipperhead?"

DG gave Cain a sour look at the use of his nickname for Glitch. "Yes, its fine. Just, something weird occurred. We were uh..." DG saw an expression cross Cain's face as she tried to explain what had happened and her cheeks flushed. "I was in his memories, Ambrose's memories. It was so odd." She placed a hand on her hip. "Now I know what Raw feels like when he reads somebody, though. When I tried to get out, I guess I got thrown back."

She saw Cain look back at Glitch suspiciously, trying to suss out any deception before tipping his hat and walking away slowly, motioning for the other men to follow. When they left, DG rushed over to Glitch, kneeling down in front of him. His body was shaking slightly and DG quickly discovered that it was because he was laughing. Glitch tipped his head back and let out a chuckle. It wasn't the hearty laugh of Glitch but rather the subdued tone of Ambrose. DG stood up, pointing a finger at him.

"You tricked him into thinking you were Glitch!" She was dumbstruck at this turn of events, though impressed with his quick thinking. Ambrose stood up from the stone bench and wrapped his arm's around DG.

"I thought I had forgotten it all, everything about the Light of the O.Z." DG saw tears begin to form in the corners of his eyes. "You always had me tightly strung around your little finger and when I thought that you were dead, part of me shattered. I wanted to erase the light you had shone into me, because it only made it worse when you were gone."

Ambrose brought DG in for another kiss, pouring every lost emotion into it. Fingers threaded in her hair, and he pulled back a bit, resting their forwards together.

"I think I may have always loved you."

Tears flowed freely from them both, spilling down their cheeks at the enormity of their situation, their past.

"I think I did, too."

* * *

I tried to keep the creep factor down on the fact that an adult was kinda head over heels for a child. So do not condone anything like that. Lemme know how I did on that.


	2. Umbrella

Notes: As I previously stated, reviews do not fuel my creative processes. Music does that and the first chapter and all that follow will be named after songs that do a damn good job of going along with the story. 'All My Life' is by KC & JoJo and 'Umbrella' is by Marie Digby. Reviews do however inflate my planet sized ego. I could so give Zaphod a run for his money in the ego department. So enjoy!

* * *

The next morning, DG woke up with a smile on her face, memories of the previous night still swimming in the forefront of her mind. But as the double rays of sunlight peeked in through the large balcony doors, DG remembered the task at hand. Pushing the covers off of her, she crawled out of the large feather bed and padded over to the large wooden wardrobe, throwing the doors open. Today was the day that she and Azkadellia were supposed to travel out to the Eastern Guild and offer assistance in rebuilding their village. Picking out clothes and boots appropriate for stomping around in the woods for the better part of a day, she shuffled into her slacks and a tee.

Hopping around the room on one foot as she put her shoes on, DG noticed something sitting on the large desk that stood on the opposite wall. Finally getting her foot shoved into the shoe, she crossed the room to admire the bulgar novi, a bouquet of papay blossoms nestled in a crystal vase. There was no note with the blossoms but DG had an inkling as to who had left them for her.

Fully dressed, she exited the bedroom and made her way down the large winding staircase to the main hallway. The closer she got to the foyer that was the entrance hall of the castle, the more she could hear voices and DG silently cursed herself for waking up so late. Jumping down the last three steps, DG started to jog across the hallway when she saw a figure out of the corner of her eye. Stopping, she turned to see Glitch standing under a large painting of the lakes of Finaqua. She could tell that it was Glitch by the tiny smile that he seemed to always wear.

Crossing the distance silently, she snuck up behind the man and gently placed her hands over his eyes.

"Guess who."

Glitch paused for a moment before DG heard a small subdued laugh. "The most beautiful woman in all the land." DG let her hands fall to her side as Ambrose, in fact, that turned to look at her. DG blushed and tilted her head slightly in deference.

"I dunno... I think my mother may have that title already."

Ambrose raised a finger to DG's cheek, rubbing the digit lightly against her skin. "Your mother had that title until the day she gave birth to you, DG. When Azkadellia was born, while she was no less beautiful, she was revered as the heir to the throne of the O.Z. When you were born however, no one could stop talking about how bright and clear your eyes were. They rivaled even those of the Queen Mother."

Stunned into silence by those endearing words, DG didn't know what to say in response. Clearing her throat, she turned away from the intense gaze. "Thank you for the flowers, by the way," was all that immediately came to mind. Ambrose laughed again and ran a hand over DG's shoulder. "You didn't have to do that, you know."

"Ah, but just because I don't doesn't mean that I shouldn't." DG saw him pause to contemplate the negatives in the sentence, a hint of Glitch shining out through his eyes, before Ambrose seemed satisfied with the structure of his statement. DG was going to reply before she heard the voices of her family filter in from outside. Grabbing hold of Ambrose's hand, she dragged him down into the main hallway.

"You should come with us today out to the Eastern Guild. It would be nice for you to get out of this place more often."

DG felt Ambrose pull back from her and when she turned around, Glitch returned her gaze, waving his arms in a negative gesture in front of him as he shook his head. "Oh no, doll. No way I'm dealing with those little mongrels again. No way, no how, nu-uh. Once was perfectly enough for me."

DG huffed, rolling her eyes and stuck out her hip. "Come on, it will be fun! The two of us, out on another exciting adventure..." She swung her arm jauntily, trying to persuade him some more.

When Glitch still refused, DG decided to turn on those feminine wiles her mother had told her about when she came home crying one day, after being turned down by a boy she'd asked to their middle school graduation dance. Walking over to Glitch, she placed her palm over his heart and stood on her tip toes so her mouth could rest near his ear.

"Please? For me?"

Smiling to herself when she felt him shiver and jolt beneath her, DG pulled back to look at Ambrose squarely, batting her eyelashes a little. He sighed, still enjoying the ghostly feel of her breath on the side of his face, and ran a hand over his zippered head. Nodding resignedly, he stuck out his elbow for DG to take.

She threaded her arm around the proffered limb and she led them out into the crisp morning air.

* * *

Azkadellia flinched backwards as three guild members pointed their tiny spears at her menacingly and looked back at her younger sister with a pleading glance. DG had to throw a hand out to stop Cain from jumping in and waving his revolver in their tiny faces. Confusion crossed his features as DG pulled him back from the fray.

"This is part of the deal. They get to poke and prod her for a little bit before they insult her for a several minutes. After that, we can negotiate with them." Seeing that the confusion was still there by his disbelieving expression, DG continued on. "Apparently it's a ritual they have to observe when they meet to make peace with their enemies. Something about showing off their superiority to those they see as weak. Seems to me like they're overcompensating for something. Like men with their penis cars." DG shook her head, and both Cain and Ambrose whipped their heads around to stare at her in shock.

"I can't believe I'm going to ask this, but penis car?"

DG chuckled and flicked her gaze up to the sky, as if to seek help, while the guild members took turns throwing clumps of dirt at Azkadellia's backside. "On the Other Side, guys who lack the uhm," DG motioned with her hand suggestively, "..._equipment_, will get big flashy cars to impress women and make up for what they're missing. The cars are usually really sleek, shiny, fast and have two seats. So naturally..."

Cain held up a hand to stop her before she explained any further, shook his head and cursed whatever deity would listen for letting DG be the one who rescued him from his tin prison.

After the ankle biters had their fun with Azkadellia for about a half hour, they were eventually led deeper into their village to where they were to discuss the rebuilding efforts with all the guild members. DG and Ambrose lagged behind the procession, meandering slowly through the beautiful forest as Ambrose chastised her for being so vulgar. DG giggled at his prudishness and smacked his arm playfully.

It slowly began to drizzle, the sky darkening a little as the clouds rolled in, and they moved closer under the canopy the trees provided to keep from getting too wet. As they passed through a large open section, DG looked up and spied one of the cages similar to the ones she'd been locked in when she first crash landed in the O.Z. She pointed a finger up to them, drawing Ambrose's attention to it.

"Bring back any memories?" She joked.

Ambrose shrugged his shoulders and DG smiled as she threaded their fingers together, stopping to peer up at the contraption. When Cain passed by them, indicating they should be with the group, she told him that they'd catch up, and then looked back up at the wooden prison, Ambrose mirroring her posture.

"You were pretty rude when we first met, you know. Said that I wasn't so hot on first glance." Her smile became cheeky, letting him know she was just teasing.

Ambrose shifted his stance anyway, grip tightening on DG. "Well, I think I was just being a tad bit defensive. At that point, you were still a stranger to me and you weren't all that polite yourself."

DG pursed her lips and glanced up at Ambrose. "Yeah, but you were still looking out for me even then. When the Longcoats showed up, you weren't too keen on me slipping out of that thing. Thought it was dangerous for a girl like me?" She batted her eyelashes girlishly.

Ambrose smiled at her display, hearing the teasing tone in her voice. "I didn't want you to fall. It would have been so messy and I don't think I could have handled the inevitable splat in my fragile state of mind."

The rain continued to fall as DG thought back to that fateful encounter. "You were calling out to me to be careful and..."

DG stopped mid-thought and jerked her head to look up at Ambrose. "You knew my name!"

Ambrose took a step back, head tilting in confusion at such an obvious statement. "Of course I know you're name! You're DG, princess of the O.Z."

DG shook her head at him, a few strands of hair falling out of their clips and into her eyes. "No, no. When we first met up there, you introduced yourself after I pointed out that your zipper was down. But I never told you my name. Yet you called it out when I was swinging out the bottom of that thing. You remembered me even after you hadn't seen me in years!"

Staring into Ambrose's dark eyes, DG watched him as he tried to recall that moment. He shook his head after a minute, unable to sift through all the damage to his marbles and DG got an idea. Squeezing her eyes shut and focusing hard on the memory, she cradled Ambrose's face in her hands and brought their lips together.

In a flash, their first meeting played out between them. Glitch hanging from the ceiling, loathing in his chest as he saw the munchkins accusing the weird new girl of being spy. Those eyes peering up at him, staring through him. Rude words and rushed pleasantries exchanged. Fear as the Longcoats approached building up within. A blinding flash of light followed by him yelling at DG to be careful.

Behind them, someone cleared their throat and they were quickly pulled out of the memory. DG thought she was going to die of embarrassment as she saw Cain standing a few yards away, head slightly tilted in another direction, as if trying to ignore what he was seeing. Ambrose stepped back from DG swiftly, who just wanted to take a page from the evil witch's book and melt into the dirt. Mumbling something neither she nor they could understand, face burning bright red, she quickly rushed down the path after her sister.

Once she was out of earshot, Cain glanced around to make sure they were alone, and then turned his piercing blue gaze to the adviser.

"It's not what it looked like... Well, _yeah_, it was, but _she_ initiated it!" Glitch pointed a finger in the direction DG had run off in.

Cain continued to stare at him silently, face set in a hard grimace.

"I mean, it's not like I wasn't returning the affection, we're both to blame. But I would _never_..."

Cain continued to stare at him.

"Okay, I think I kind of did last night, but there was a very intense moment and lots of old emotions."

Cain continued to stare at him.

"It's not as if we are doing something _wrong_."

Cain continued to stare at him.

"Oh gods, please don't kill me."

Once Glitch emerged, Cain slowly walked over to him and threw an arm over his shoulder. "Now I knew that I couldn't scare Ambrose too much, but you on the other hand..." Cain's hold became painful as he started to lead them after the princess.

"I don't know what I walked in on last night, but I do know that something happened. Whatever it was, DG didn't seem to upset, so I let it go. But," Cain leaned in closer and Glitch thought the tin man was going to break his collarbone. "If you so much as think about hurting that kid or break her heart, I'm going to break your face. And then you'll find other parts of you missing once I get done doing that." The hand on his shoulder pinched sharply into muscle, causing Glitch to squeak in pain.

"Understand?"

Glitch nodded emphatically and Cain released his hold. Glitch stumbled away from him, spinning in a sharp circle as if to make sure that Cain was completely off and wasn't going to latch onto him again. Cain straightened himself out and looked at the advisor.

"That being said and done, good luck. I'm real happy for you both."

* * *

After a dazzling light show from the two princesses, the forest home of the Eastern Guild was restored to its striking beauty once more. Trees that had been felled now stood proud again and the guild members shouted out raucously in joy at the restoration. Promising that the next time Azkadellia returned, the taunting would be lessened, the group said their goodbyes and headed back out of the forest to the palace.

Ambrose made sure to give the tin man a wide berth and DG knew by reading the two men's body language that Cain had said something to him after she ran off. Not sure whether to berate Cain for threatening the poor man or feel heartened by the fact that he was so protective of her, she decided that the blowup could wait until the next day. She looped her arms through theirs, Ambrose on her left and Cain on her right, and the rest of the way home, they laughed with Azkadellia as she told them how badly she wanted to roast the little turkeys for making fun of her. The suns began to set behind them as they made their journey home, casting a brilliant radiance through the light rain.

Once home, their mother and father greeted them all, hugging their daughters, anxious to hear how things went. Glossing over the name calling, DG and Azkadellia told them it all went well and that the guild was overjoyed to have the Queen ruling over the O.Z. once more.

Elbowing Azkadellia discreetly when she referred to them as overgrown chickens, they said that the guild would be sending word to the others that there would be efforts to restore the remaining guilds. Informing them that a grand dinner was being prepared for their success, they told their daughters to go and get changed before the meal was served.

Before heading up to her room, DG pulled Ambrose aside into a corner of the palace where they wouldn't be disturbed again and grinned up at him.

"I still can't believe that you remembered me after all that time. Goes to show just how hard I am to forget."

Ambrose pulled DG into an embrace, resting his chin on the crown of her head and ran his fingers through her long, dark hair. DG sighed at the contact and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"It was your eyes, dearheart. I could never forget those peepers, not really. They followed me everywhere I went when you were a child, haunting my footsteps as it were. I had always feared for your safety when you got older, you had such a knack for trouble and I made sure I was around most of time to make sure you or Azkadellia never got too hurt. I guess when you tried to escape, that old fear came back, jogging my memory, if only slightly."

DG burrowed deeper into his hold, her hands settling on his lower back. "Forever my guardian, it seems." She paused, contemplating.

"I just wonder what that flash of light was." DG felt his chest hum beneath her as he thought back to the strange glow.

"I don't know princess, but whatever it was, it's what let me remember. Remember your name, if not that we had been friends so long ago. That you were someone I had to protect and care for, always."

Leaning back, DG pulled Ambrose down for a tender kiss. Lips parting, DG invited Ambrose in, her body arching into his, the only memory shared between them the one they were making at that moment.

"Forever."

* * *

Okay, I noticed it the first time around, but when writing this out I had to recheck to make sure (thank Jeebus for DVR) and nowhere in the first scene does DG introduce herself to Glitch. I watched it like four times and once with the captions on to be certain. A little blooper that I used to my advantage.

It was a little shorter than intended, but somehow, someway, I hit the exact sequence of keys that deleted everything I had written and I had to start over... I almost threw the laptop into the wall, but I'm still making payments on it, so no dice.


	3. I Wanna Know

Notes: My head is all stuffed up, my nose is the exact opposite and I could probably cook an egg on my forehead. But thank Jeebus my fingers still work! The title of this chapter comes from the song 'I Wanna Know' by Joe. Best R&B song ever... And the song literally says it all. Any mistakes you can blame on the fact that my brain is roasting inside my skull like a pig on a spit. Next chapter will most likely be the last one as I dig down into the dregs of my music collection to find a fitting title for the last installment.

* * *

Ambrose paced around his room, chin tucked to his chest and his hands clasped behind his back. It had been three weeks since his trip with DG to the Eastern Guild and since then, at least for one hour a day, he and the princess had been going through his buried memories. Not that he was complaining about it, really. The sessions had afforded him some very intimate moments with DG, the feel of her skin on his as they kissed was amazing, as were the images shared between them both while his hands dared to explore the rest of DG's body.

That had not been what was causing him such distress, and in fact, he got quite a lot of pleasure from basking in DG's attentions. No, something was missing and Ambrose couldn't quite put his finger on it. Ambrose had stayed up for many agonizing hours trying to figure out why he felt that he was being left out on something important. The late night started to take its toll and earlier, Glitch had been discovered by Azkadellia as he was asking an old oil painting of DG when she was much younger why she was being so cruel to him. The painting refused to answer him back.

Azkadellia had carefully escorted Glitch back to his room, listening to him intently as he rambled on and on about her sister being a wily temptress bent on destroying his already fragile sanity. Azkadellia smirked and arched an eyebrow, new information as to her baby sister's proclivities toward the adviser spinning in her head. Safely depositing him in his room, Az had bid him a good night and now, he was pacing like madman, trying to solve the puzzle that was DG.

Finally, the stress and lack of sleep eventually caused him to pass out from exhaustion, the question still burning his senses and haunting his broken dreams.

Birdsong roused him a few hours later, and Ambrose shifted from his side to peer out the window. The double suns had just begun their journey across the sky, heralding the start of a new and glorious day. Grumbling and wiping the sand from his eyes, Ambrose stood up slowly, stretching out the kinks from falling asleep on his shoulder. Realizing he had passed out in his clothes, Ambrose quickly shucked out of the old garments, digging into the wardrobe for some clean slacks and a shirt.

Leaving the jacket open, as he knew how much DG appreciated how the crisp white shirt contrasted with the deep reds of his outfit and his pale complexion, he made his way down to the spacious breakfast nook tucked in the back the palace, giving the room a wonderful view of the shimmering lake. As Ambrose entered the room, he bowed to the royal family before taking his seat. He spied DG and Azkadellia deep in conversation, their heads bent low and together, and when Ambrose moved to sit next to DG, he noticed Azkadellia elbow her sister suggestively, a grin on her face.

Ignoring them, he tucked into his meal as the royal parents asked as to what their children had planned for the day. As a way to show the people of the O.Z. that she had changed, Azkadellia had been volunteering a lot of her time to various causes and she informed them that she would be going to Central City to help out the medicos in an infirmary for ill children. The discussion progressed after that, but Ambrose chose to focus on his breakfast instead until Azkadellia asked DG if she wanted to travel with her.

DG snorted into her milk, causing her to cough violently when the liquid attempted to rush into her lungs. Raising her hand in the air to help her clear her pipes as she coughed and spluttered, her eyes darted to Az with an accusatory look. Once the fit was over, DG turned to her sister.

"Uh, no. I think I'm good. I once volunteered at a hospital when I was in high school and somehow I managed to get thrown up on seven times. For the rest of my sophomore year, I was known as 'Hurl Girl' at school. Since then, I've always been paranoid around sick people."

Azkadellia and her parents laughed, Az patting DG's hand to tell her it was okay that she didn't want to come. Ambrose twirled the story around in his brain for a moment before that last tantalizing puzzle piece at last fell into place. The picture now whole, Ambrose pounded his fist down on the table in celebration, causing his spoon to go flying in the air, landing in Ahamo's porridge bowl with a clatter.

"I got it!"

The moment of victory was quickly lost as he looked around the table at four sets of wide eyes. Ahamo wiped away the flecks of his meal that had splattered on his face with a napkin and Ambrose ducked his head guiltily. Mumbling an apology, he excused himself from the family and hurried out of the room, his face beet red. As he hurried down the main hallway, he chided himself on being such a buffoon, but secretly smiled to himself for finally figuring out what had been bothering him so.

Now he just had to ponder the logistics, and then see if DG was up for the task.

* * *

Later on that evening, Ambrose stood outside DG's bedroom door, his fists clenching and unclenching as he mentally went over exactly what he was going to say. He didn't think that she would disapprove, per se, but when it came to a woman's privacy, one had to be extremely delicate. Sucking in a deep breath, he raised a sweating hand and knocked gently on the heavy oaken door.

"Come in."

The voice was muffled and when Ambrose entered the room, he saw that DG was standing out on the balcony, admiring the view as the stars began to peek out from behind the clouds, the last rays of the setting suns casting startling shades of orange and red on the horizon. Crossing the room slowly, he came up behind DG and wrapped his arms around her waist. She bent her head back to rest on his chest and sighed contentedly at the close contact. Ambrose kissed the crown of her head and they stood in silence as the fading pinks and purples of the evening sky were replaced by the inky black twilight. Distant stars began to shine and Ambrose had to resist the urge to start pointing out constellations.

After a while, DG turned in his arms and gazed up into his eyes. Ambrose felt his resolve threaten to melt under the scrutiny of her crystal blue eyes. Fortunately, DG was too curious a person.

"So what was that display all about this morning?"

Dropping his arms, Ambrose took a step back into the bedroom, and DG followed after him curiously. He began to pace across the room and DG simply sat down on her bed and watched him, knowing that he'd spill eventually. All things with him took time and a fair amount of patience.

Gathering his nerve, he spun on his heel and stared at DG. "An odd thing had been bothering me for weeks about you and for the longest time I couldn't figure out what is was that irked me so. It burrowed into my skull and wouldn't leave me along until I could solve it. Then today at breakfast, it hit me."

Ambrose bent down on a knee in front of DG, taking her hands in his reverently. Not exactly heartened by his speech, DG fed off the nervous energy in the air and steeled herself for something awful.

"I want to see your memories."

Wrinkling her nose in bewilderment, she gawked down at him. Sensing that she was not going to respond positively, he continued on.

"Well, you have seen so much of my past and I thought that it's only fair that I could some of yours. I want to know about all those annuals you spent on the Other Side, who your friends were, what your parents were like, and even which boy was stupid enough to break your heart. An even trade, as it were."

DG slipped a hand out from under Ambrose's and scratched at her head, thinking about what this could do to them. She hadn't really been the shining beacon of decency and charity. In her teens, with her hormones raging and not content with her place in the world, she had been something of a wild child. Nothing seriously illegal or dangerous, but potentially embarrassing and she thought that what Ambrose might see would cause him to see her in a different light, maybe even cause him to not want to be her friend anymore.

She bit her lip, watching Ambrose closely as she debated internally. Glitch would definitely get a kick out of some of her childhood antics, but Ambrose was more likely to pull away from her once he saw her past. Peering into his eyes though, she saw the need to know what the youngest princess had done in her time on the Other Side, to not have this relationship be one sided when it came to the head trips.

"I don't even know if I can do something like that, Ambrose. Usually when I touch you, it's your mind that we go into."

Ambrose stood, a grin decorating his features. He moved to sit down on the bed next to her, still grasping her hand. "I got that all figured out, I think. Just follow my lead, okay?" DG nodded her head and Ambrose moved in for a kiss. Brushing his lips over hers, he brought his hands up to cup her cheeks, his tongue pressing into her mouth, and tasting the remnants of the wine she had with her dinner. DG closed her eyes, moaning and shifted closer to his body, raising her hands to cover his.

A bright light flashed behind her lids and DG felt them falling into her mind.

DG was eight as she rushed down the stairs Christmas morning to see what Santa had left for her under the tree. Gasping in awe as she saw the cookies she and her mother had baked for Santa were gone, she rushed over to the tree, counting her take as she heard her parents coming into the living room. Jumping up, she hugged them both, telling them that she loved them so very much.

She was under the chassis of car, listening intently as her father explained how to repair a gas line properly, without severing the line or mucking anything else up in the process.

Rocking gently in her father's lap, dozing to the sound of his voice as he weaved a long yarn about the place of his birth.

Standing in front of a pet store window, face pressed against the glass as she begged her mother to buy her one of the numerous puppies on display.

Standing up in class, her knees shaking as she read her report on William Henry Harrison, praying to God that Kristy Wall and her friends wouldn't see something to rip on her about later on the playground.

Hiding out underneath the bleachers with a group of kids as she was passed a joint, hating the way it burned her lungs and made her eyes water.

Getting drunk behind the skating rink and letting the air out of the tires of half the cars in the parking lot.

Slipping into the pale blue dress she had specially made for the winter formal, her mother looking at her in the mirror, and trying not to cry. Ignoring the whispered barbs coming from Kristy as she arrived at the dance with her date, Justin Salyer. He had almost fainted when she asked him to the dance and DG knew that the hushed tones she heard were making fun of her for bringing a nerd. Making out in the backseat of Justin's car, his nervous hands fumbling with the straps of her dress and bra.

The feel of the air whipping around her as she took her brand new bike out for a spin on the dirt roads, the feeling of absolute freedom washing over her.

Getting suspended for beating up Kristy in the school parking lot when the girl had accused DG of being a slut. Pride bursting in her heart when her father pulled her aside to ask if she'd won.

Walking across the stage to receive her diploma, smiling brightly as her parents snapped photos and waved at her from the audience.

Screaming at her parents when they refused to let her go to an out of state university, telling them she hated them.

Exhaustion as she closed down the diner one night, wondering if the grease would ever come out of her hair.

Running through the fields of wheat, tears streaming down her face in anger from another argument with her mother.

Sitting out on the swing hanging from the old willow, idly drawing the images from the dreams that came to her almost every night.

Walking into the police station to pay off her fourth ticket, hating the grin on Gulch's face. Pulling Justin closer to her as he kissed his way down her chest.

Wanting so much for Ambrose to not see that particular memory, DG all but forced them back into reality.

Gasping slightly at the abrupt end to the journey, Ambrose became painfully aware that at some point, he had pushed DG down into the bed, stretching his lanky frame over hers, a hand pressed into her hip and his knee between her legs. DG gazed into his eyes, fear and shame evident on her face. Knowing he had to say something, he moved the hand resting on her hip up to twirl a strand of her dark hair around a digit.

"Who's Santa?"

Bursting into laughter at the ridiculous question, her fears subsiding a little as Ambrose obviously had no intention of storming out after what he saw. Moving her hand up under his shirt to gently rub his back, she wondered how best to answer the question.

"Children on the Other Side believe that a fat old man dressed in a red suit travels around the world with his magic reindeer to break into people's homes and deliver presents made by elves at his secret lair to all the good boys and girls."

Ambrose pondered on the statement and DG could see that he had a million more questions about this Santa person, but there were other pressing matters at hand.

"So, you don't think I'm a bad person or a woman with loose morals, do you? Because drugs and alcohol played a big part in my formative years and I was always the weird kid at school, so I tended to act out a lot. And all kids get into fights with their parents, it's not like I was this bad seed or anything. I did real well in school, despite the fact that I got into a dozen fights."

Recognizing a rant when he heard one, Ambrose decided to hush DG with another kiss, loving the way she clung to him once she knew he wasn't going anywhere. Finally becoming aware of what position Ambrose had her in, DG tensed up as Ambrose ran a sweeping thumb over her breast, feeling the warmth of his hand even through her bra.

Feeling the princess go still beneath him, Ambrose pulled back to peer down at DG. Sensing the hesitation radiating off her, her pulled one of her hands up to his lips and kissed each delicate finger, flipping her hand over to press his lips to her palm. Looking her square in the eye, his voice was barely above a whisper.

"Do you trust me, princess?"

There was a momentary pause before she slowly nodded her head, the barest hint of a smile on her lips. Pressing down into her, he leaned over her, his mouth next to her ear.

"I love you, DG."

* * *

The next morning, Ambrose bent down to place a kiss on DG's brow, telling her he'd be back after he changed into some clean clothes. Climbing off the bed, he covered DG back up in the blankets, smiling as she buried her face in his pillow and made his way out of the room. Closing the door behind him, Ambrose turned around and came face to face with Wyatt Cain. Glitch squeaked and fell back into the door with a thump.

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

Cain picked Glitch up by his shoulders and motioned for him to continue on to his room. Falling into step next to him as the walked through the palace, Cain peered over at Glitch from the corner of his eye. Feeling the look burn into his skull, Glitch felt panic rise up in him and all he wanted to do was to run as far away from the scary tin man as he could.

"I hope you intend on making an honest woman out of DG, Glitch."

Spinning his head around to stare at the Cain, Glitch's mouth dropped open in shock. He stopped dead in his tracks and spluttered loudly. "How is it possible for you to _know_ about these things? I almost never see you around the palace!"

Cain just gave the adviser a knowing a smile, but didn't answer his question. Instead, he continued walking on, the grin still on his face as he left Glitch speechless behind him.

"I'm sure her parents will just be _thrilled_ to have you as a son in law."

* * *

Witty closing remarks have been replaced by clogged sinuses and a dangerously high fever.


	4. I Will Come To You

Notes: Okay, I have a hearty collection of Kleenex surrounding me, warm homemade vegetable soup courtesy of my grandmother and the Scissor Sisters blaring in the background. You can blame Lady of the Willows for sending that my way. As far as I know, this is going to be the last chapter, but if something strikes me, I may add to it. This installment is 'I Will Come To You' by Hanson. You can just shush because when I was in middle school, Hanson came onto the scene and they were _everywhere_! I can't help it if they had one decent song. Also wanna give a shout out to swampmusic for just being that awesome.

* * *

Raw made his way up the palace steps, anxious to see his friends after his long arduous journey to his homelands. Weary to the bone from his travels, he just wanted to have hearty meal and sit down with his former traveling companions around a roaring fire. As the large main doors were opened for him, his senses tingled in apprehension when DG's voice hit his ears and he saw her standing in the middle of the foyer with her sister behind her, face red with anger while she yelled at a member of the palace's security detail.

"I don't _care_ how many times you've checked, I want you to _find_ him!"

The man nodded nervously and bowed to her before rushing away, head ducked low from the dressing down he'd just received. Raw watched as Azkadellia moved to talk to her sister, but DG just shrugged her off and Raw could tell that she was trying to hold back tears. Closing his eyes, Raw let the emotions in the room wash over him, trying to ascertain what was wrong. Fear, heartbreak, worry and shame rolled off of DG in waves, while compassion mixed with nervousness bled from Azkadellia.

DG craned her head towards Raw as she saw him approach her carefully, his stance open and accepting to her. Now face to face with the princess, Raw could see the unmasked pain behind her red-rimmed eyes. Upon seeing her friend for the first time in ages, DG unabashedly fell into his arms and openly wept. The contact with her caused a flood of vague images and feelings in his mind's eye.

"DG afraid, heart breaking."

He felt DG nod against his chest and over her head, he saw Azkadellia motion to a room off the main hallway. Supporting her weight, Raw lead DG into the secluded parlor and gently sat her down on the divan. Azkadellia shut the doors behind them and crisply crossed the floor to join Raw by her sister. Sitting down beside her on the divan, and arranging her skirts, Az stroked DG's hair softly as Raw positioned himself in front of them on an ottoman.

"Tell Raw what happened." Az suggested, tucking a strand of hair behind her sister's ear.

DG sniffled quietly and burrowed closer to her sister, gathering up her knees to her body. Raw could sense her embarrassment even before he saw her cheeks turn a rosy color.

"I- I spent the night with Ambrose the other day. When he left my room the next morning, he said that he'd be back but he never returned. I thought he had Glitch'd out and forgot what he was doing but by evening, no one had seen him."

Fresh tears rolled down her face, leaving wet streaks that shone in the dim lighting of the room. "When I had the guard detail search the palace and grounds, they all came back and said he was gone… He _left_ me."

Taking in a deep shuddering breath, DG squeezed her eyes shut and opened her mouth in a silent sob. Azkadellia began to whisper soft, consolatory words to DG and Raw picked up one of DG's hands, staring hard at her palm, trying to decipher the images in his head.

"Raw see Glitch, see him put in a corner. Afraid, Glitch is."

DG sat up at little at Raw's words and wiped at her face. "Ambrose is afraid of me? That doesn't make any sense."

Gripping DG's hand tighter, Raw attempted to sift through all the jumbled sensations swirling through him. "Not afraid of DG. _Love_ DG. Both do. Afraid of the words. Trapped by the words." Raw felt DG's confusion as he struggled to read into the cryptic image. "Words of _tin_."

DG narrowed her eyes to slits and Raw could feel the anger consume the princess like fire, drowning out all the other emotions she was experiencing. And then, as if on cue, there was a soft knock at the door and Cain peeked his head into the room. He opened his mouth to speak to them, but in a blur of movement, DG had jumped up from the divan, ran across the room, and grabbed Cain by his jacket lapels to pull him inside. Thrown off his balance, Cain stumbled for a second and when he straightened himself out, DG was standing in front of him, her finger pointing in his face like a gun.

"What did you do?"

Absolutely stunned by DG's aggressive actions, all Cain could do was stand their wordlessly, looking over to Raw and Azkadellia for help. A sharp jab to his chest quickly brought his attention back to DG though.

"I don't know what you're talking about, kiddo! I just got back from training the new guard cadets. What happened, are you all right?"

DG advanced on Cain, who for the first time in his life, took a step back in apprehension, thrown off center by his friend's ferocity. He thought that if DG's eyes burned through him any brighter, he might actually catch fire.

"Ambrose is missing and apparently, it's because of _you_! So I want to know what you did. _Now_."

A soft glow began to emanate from DG's hand, causing Cain to gulp anxiously. "Nothing! Last time I saw the zipperhead was the other morning, when he was leaving your room."

Raw had to put a calming hand on DG's shoulder to keep her from lunging at the tin man and strangling the life out of him.

"That's funny, considering that was the last time anyone laid eyes on him! What did you say to him, Cain?"

Looking down at the light coming from DG's palms, which was getting brighter the angrier she got, Cain thought back to what he had said that particular morning. "I ran into him outside your room. We exchanged a few words and I made a jest about your parents being his in-laws and I walked away. That was it, I _swear_, princess."

DG stretched up on her toes until she was a hairbreadth away from his face. "Did you joke with Ambrose or with Glitch?"

Her voice managed to send shivers down his spine and if he lived to see the next day, he swore he would forever look at the princess in a completely different light. He tried not to let his vocal chords crack.

"... Glitch."

Her extended finger barely brushed his chest but the force she expelled was enough to send him flying back, landing on the floor with a loud thump several feet away. Clearing the stars from his vision, Cain glanced up to see DG storm out of the room, Azkadellia and Raw trailing behind her.

Raw turned back for a second to send him an apologetic look before Cain was left alone in the room with his wounded pride.

* * *

Glitch wandered around the streets of Central City, literally and figuratively going out of his mind. He could feel his other personality trying to claw his way to the forefront and regain control once more, but every time he thought about what Cain had said, the fear would drive a spike through his mind and heart, keeping Ambrose forcibly tucked away. The effect however was causing Glitch to have sharp pains radiate throughout his skull, like his brain was threatening to burst out of his zipper.

Bringing up a hand to make sure the zipper was tightly closed, Glitch thought that if he was going to run away, he should have changed into some less conspicuous clothes. The uniform of the crown was sticking out in the crowded streets like a shining beacon. People would part to let him by, staring after him as he passed and after a while, it started to grind his frayed and damaged nerves.

Ducking into a secluded dance hall at the end of some narrow alley, Glitch gave silent thanks that it was the middle of the day and the place was relatively empty. Quickly sitting down at a table in the far back corner, Glitch began to bang his head on the surface, wondering how the smartest man in all the O.Z. could be so stupid to be scared of the parents of the woman he loved. Oh yeah, one of them just _happened_ to be the highest form of authority and one of the most formidable of the Slippers, powers waning or not. The other was as overprotective as any father would be of his daughter and would probably take great joy in dropping him from high up in his flying balloon.

The mental image of him falling from such a distance scared him even more, further quelling the desperate attempts of his other half to take control. Scraping his fingernails over the tabletop, Glitch sighed.

"What am I going to do?"

"Question: Attempts to look ahead at one's path. Answer: One man cannot walk down two roads."

Glitch's head shot up at the familiar voice and was shocked to see Airofday standing above him, looking less like the exotic fortune teller from the Realm of the Unwanted and more like a gaudily dressed charlatan. Her once platinum locks were now a color of dirty snow and her makeup was heavily applied and not very becoming. When she blinked, Glitch could still see the glitter of the false eyes painted on her lids. Apparently once the reign of terror the Longcoats once managed was over, she had been released from their prisons, though it looked like she had not been treated well in their hands, no matter the amount of time.

When he made no move to offer her a seat, she pulled out the chair and sat down with a huff of air, as though it greatly tasked her to be near him. Taking a quick glance around the rest of the hall, he leaned over to the medium.

"How dare you come over and talk to me after what you did! How dare you! How dare you! How dare you!"

Like a serpent, Airofday was leaning over the table, hair spilling out over the edges and brushing against his legs. The sharp motion shut him up and he moved back in his chair, startled.

"Usually when men yell at me, they buy me a drink first. It would be rude for you not to, if you wish to continue on like that."

Anxious to get the woman out of his face, he dug around in his pockets, praying that he had some coin on him. Fingers brushing inside the hidden pocket of his jacket lining, he pulled out two platinum and handed them to Airofday. Smiling, she flicked her lids down and the painted eyes stared unseeingly into Glitch. Standing, she made her way over to the bar, leaving Glitch alone to wonder why he didn't just leave the hall and not subject himself further to this woman who had turned him and his friends over to the Longcoats without a second thought.

Returning with two glasses filled with a clear liquid, she handed one to Glitch and sat back down, crossing her legs tightly, giving Glitch a healthy view of tanned skin under her wispy skirts. Taking a sip from her glass, she gazed over the rim at Glitch and motioned with her hands.

"You may continue now."

Forgetting what he had even been talking about, he rubbed his thumbs over the glass, as if simply holding the thing would offer him knowledge or comfort. For the first time in many hours, he thought of DG. He wondered if she was worried about him. How he left her was not exactly the smartest move in history but Cain's seemingly harmless jest had sent him reeling and the full knowledge of what he was doing hit him full force and all he think to do was run.

"When one sits in silence, it is for two reasons. One is in pleasant company, where no words are needed and the other is in troubled contemplation. And considering the situation of which we last met, I'm guessing it is not the former."

Airofday took another pull of her drink and stared at man before her. The last time she had seen him, his appearance suggested that he had known no peace in many annuals. But now, as he sat before her, his clothing was still the official dress of the palace, but now the colors were vibrant and appealing, not caked with mud and sweat. His hair, though still twisted and sticking up, was no longer dirty and he looked as though he had eaten a few decent meals, a healthy color added to his pale visage.

Glitch arched an eyebrow at her. "Like I'm going to trust you with my troubles, doll. I may be crazy, but I'm not insane."

Airofday chuckled is disbelief, setting her drink on the tabletop. "Sometimes, the only one you can trust is someone who does not know you."

Glitch removed a hand from the comfort of his drink and pointed a finger at Airofday. "No, I have someone I can trust! Someone who won't betray me for a few shekels!"

Airofday smirked, placing her elbow on the back of her chair, shifting her entire posture so that it radiated amusement to any who saw. "Of course you do. That's why you are sitting here talking to me instead of with the person you trust so much."

Her words stung him like razor barbs and Glitch could hear his overtaxed brain screaming at him. That she was right, that he should leave this place, that he needed DG. But when he saw her face in his mind, the image was accompanied by Cain's voice, driving the fear into him like a spike. His world narrowed down to the woman in front of him and the only way to make his brain stop working was to get his mouth moving.

"It's not like I don't want to be, you know? I'm not just some unwanted lump. People love me. More lovable than a box full of puppies, I am! But when you do bad things, that's when people start to look at you like you're a box of monkey bats."

Glitch picked up his drink for the first time and tossed it back, downing the clear liquid in one shot. It burned as it traveled down his throat and he brought his head back down, dropping the glass on the table so hard it cracked the bottom.

"I mean, I used to watch over her as a child, for goodness sakes!"

Airofday's cool demeanor changed slightly, confused by the abrupt change in the flow of conversation. She had no clue as to what he was talking about, there being no explanation or preface to the comment.

"You thought punishments under Azka-D were bad? Just imagine what the Queen would do to me when she finds out! Even if DG manages to convince them not to hang me in the city square, I'd never be able to see her again. Hell, they took my brain out and I lived through it. But if they took my heart, I'd surely die."

In a rare moment of absolutely pure intentions, Airofday placed a calming hand on Glitch's knee and gazed into his eyes, no hint of malice or trickery. "Whether you be the lowliest farmer or the Queen of the O.Z. herself, the heart wants what the heart wants and it will not rest until it's achieved its desire."

Glitch hung his head for a moment, contemplating her words and when he looked back up a moment later, Airofday could see a different light in his eyes. He abruptly stood up, taking the hand on his knee and placed a soft kiss on the back of it.

"Thank you."

Then, like a puff of smoke, he'd vanished out the front of the dance hall, leaving Airofday at the table with a smile on her face.

She still had it.

* * *

DG pushed down an extended branch to keep it from striking her in the head, then held the branch up for Raw, Azkadellia and Tutor, but let it fly back into Cain's face before he passed. Turning like nothing had happened, she made her way down a little hill and trudged onward down the Old Brick Route.

Cain grumbled under his breath but didn't say anything. He could tell the kid was worried, so he held his tongue, not wanting to exacerbate the situation. He wanted to explain that he'd just been joking around with the zipperhead, but every time he tried to speak to DG, she would look away and ignore him. It hurt him that she was so mad and it hurt that _he_ was the one who caused her pain to begin with, but he'd raised a child before he was locked in his tin prison and he knew that she just needed some time to stew in her own juices before he could start mending the fences.

While DG walked ahead of him with her sister and Tutor, Raw stayed back with Cain and he found that the viewer's presence was somewhat calming. At least everyone didn't hate him.

Up ahead, DG growled with frustration as the suns began their journey below the horizon. In an hour, it would be too dark to continue the search and she was worried that she wouldn't find Ambrose and that they would have to abandon their mission until daybreak. Azkadellia threaded her fingers with DG's and gave her a reassuring squeeze. DG took comfort from the gesture, but her heart was heavy with dysphoria and concern for Ambrose.

She had been so scared when he hadn't returned the other morning and as the hours crawled by, she began to think that he had merely used her for a physical release. Her fears about that prospect grew so much and swelled in her heart that when the guards had informed her that Ambrose was missing, she'd actually laughed hysterically in relief. That relief turned to anger though, when Cain had told her what he had done and all DG could do was berate herself for letting it happen.

When they'd traveled to the eastern guild, she had known that Cain had spoken threatening words to Ambrose, be they in jest or not. But instead of calling him on it, DG allowed it to pass, as just her friend looking out for her best interest, and now it was coming back to bite her in the ass. She knew the tin man was just being protective but Ambrose was in a fragile mental state and he should have known better.

Coming to a halt, she sighed. "We're never going to find him, guys. The O.Z. is just too big to guess where he might have gone."

Shoulders slumped, DG looked for all the world a small, lost child. But Tutor waved a finger around and walked up to her.

"Maybe not. Let me ask you this, DG. When you were exploring Ambrose's memories, did you touch him with your magic?

DG nodded, her brows knitted together in confusion.

"Then you may be able to locate him, in much the same way the witch found Ahamo."

DG's eyes widened in surprise at the prospect of being able to find Glitch and she looked like she might hug Tutor. "Toto, that's a great idea! … But how do I do that? All I can do is spin things and push stuff around."

Placing both hands on DG's shoulders gently, Tutor took a deep breath and nodded for her to do the same. "Close your eyes and focus. Silence everything around you and bring your mind to only the feel of your magic. Every being has a distinct energy aura about them and you imbued Ambrose with a portion of yours. Focus on the unique signature of your core power."

Breathing in and out slowly, DG stilled, her eyes closed and a small light began to form around her.

"Now, extend your senses outward and look for that same energy in all the O.Z. Every creature, every plant, every person. Seek out the light and you will find it."

Raw could feel DG's consciousness extend out of her body as she sought Ambrose. The light emanating from her glowed even brighter, illuminating them all as the suns began to disappear from the sky. There was only the ambient sounds of the forest around them as DG stood there for almost fifteen minutes, concentrating as hard as she could.

"_I found it_." Her voice was the merest whisper and Tutor smiled.

"Now that you've found the energy, pinpoint the location and that's where we will find him."

Nodding, she took in another deep breath and focused. Cain noticed DG's hand beginning to slowly rise up from her side, finger pointing. Eyes flying open, her face split into a wide grin and DG took off running. Cain and Raw were right behind her while Azkadellia jogged slowly with her arm around Tutor, who wasn't quite the sprinter his other form was. As the suns finally set, the group ran down the winding cobbled path, trying not to stumble and trip as the sky darkened.

DG could feel her lungs begin to burn with exertion, and she searched down inside herself for an extra burst of adrenaline. Behind her, she could hear Raw and Cain's harsh panting and the soft clatter of Azkadellia and Tutor's steps behind them. When she had reached out for that familiar energy, it was like an internal radar system. Sweeping the area, she felt a ping only a few spans down the Brick Route. The road curved before her and recalling her limited term on the middle school track team, she adjusted her speed and angle to take the bend properly.

Just down road, DG thought she saw a figure against the black of the woods. Speeding up, her feet thudded against the bricks, the sweat from the nape of her neck dripping down her back as the person got closer. As she got into range of them, a burst of bright light radiated from her chest and a similar light responded from the figure.

"Ambrose!"

Taking a running leap, DG jumped on Ambrose, knocking him down to the ground. He let out a loud shout of surprise at the tackle, but it was quickly muffled by DG's insistent lips. Grabbing him forcefully by the jacket lapels, she pulled him closer, tongue pushing further into his mouth and all Ambrose could do was bury his hands in DG's flowing locks and return the kiss with equal fervor.

When Tutor and Azkadellia finally caught up, Az could only giggle at the sight of her sister trying to crawl into Ambrose's skin as they lay on the road. Tutor and Cain decidedly looked away out of respect, though Raw looked on, as he could feel the happiness and love burning between them.

After a few moments, Tutor politely cleared his throat, but when the pair refused to release each other, he raised the volume.

Prying herself off Ambrose, DG was glad the darkness provided cover for her blushing cheeks. Standing up carefully, she leaned down to pull Ambrose to his feet and helped him brush off the dirt on his jacket and pants. Then, she pulled back her arm and punched Ambrose in the chest.

"Ow, that really hurt!" Rubbing the spot she punched, Ambrose stared at her in shock.

"That's what you get for being an idiot! How _dare_ you just run off without saying anything to me!" DG hung her head and dropped her voice. "I thought you left me."

Shaking his head sadly, and sweeping DG into his arms, Ambrose pressed a kiss to her temple and hugged her tightly.

"I could never do such a thing... Well, actually I did, but my not so better half was in control, thanks to _someone's_ interference." Ambrose tilted his head around to look at Cain, who widened his eyes.

"What? It's not like I knew you were going to flip out of a jest. I thought you were made of tougher stuff, zipperhead."

DG turned in Ambrose's arms and glared at Cain, who ducked his head under the guise of shifting his hat.

"Sorry."

Ambrose knew that the simplistic apology was sincere and that it would be the best that he would get from the stoic tin man. Nodding to Cain, Ambrose turned back to DG.

"But as misguided as my fears were, there was some truth to them. DG, I love you, but I'm just an adviser and politically speaking, you're a tad out of my league. And the thought of losing you because of that scared me. Luckily, someone put me on the right path and that's not even an issue anymore… Hopefully. Think you can forgive this old head case?"

Tears in her eyes, DG stood on her tiptoes and claimed Ambrose's mouth with a searing kiss. She didn't care if their positions in life made them unsuitable for each other. She loved the crazy fool and that was all that mattered. The light between them grew to luminescent proportions, lighting up the trees around them, and when Tutor moved to speak, Azkadellia stopped him with a simple shake of her head.

Pulling back, DG looked up at Ambrose with shining, wide blue eyes. "I guess, but you are going to owe me big time."

* * *

The doors to the grand entrance hall opened wide to let the group in and a messenger ran off to inform the Queen of their return. The warmth of the palace seeped into their skins, chilled to the bone by the cool night air and Azkadellia turned to one of the attendants that had flittered into the hallway. She asked him to have a fire prepared for them and hot spice tea served. DG wanted to tell her sister that she only desired to go directly to bed but at that moment, her mother and father came down the stairs, relief showing on their faces.

Before any words could be exchanged though, Ambrose walked up to them and bowed his head to them.

"My Lord and Lady, I beg you to please forgive my rash actions. I hope they do not make you think less of me."

The Queen placed a hand to her chest and looked at her most loyal adviser and companion. "Of course not, old friend. Everyone is allowed the occasional lapse in judgment. Just make sure it doesn't strike a second time... We all hate to worry about your safety, considering your condition. Now come, you must be exhausted."

Ambrose held up a hand. "No, my Lady, there is something I must say."

DG came up to stand next to him and they entwined their hands together, the light shining between them once more. The Queen raised a stunned eyebrow while Ahamo tried to keep a smile from spreading on his face.

"I know it's not my place, but I love DG with all of my heart and soul, and she returns my affections in kind. What can I say, we've belonged to each other for quite a long time. Whether you approve or not will not change my feelings, but I was hoping we could receive your blessings."

Absolutely speechless, the Queen glanced back and forth between her daughter and her adviser, a glow shining brilliantly where their hands were connected. She turned to her husband but Ahamo simply smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"If this Nebraska farmhand can find love and happiness above his station, far be it for us to deny the same to one who has dedicated himself to the throne. And I don't think DG would be too happy with us if we refused."

The Queen turned back at her daughter, recognizing that determined look on her face, the expression so familiar on her face, as it had been since she was a child. Thinking back, she couldn't believe she hadn't seen if before, the way young DG had been so smitten with the man and vice-versa. They had always made quite the match.

Smiling broadly, the Queen opened her arms and DG rushed into them. "Oh, I'm so happy for you, my dear!"

While the women hugged each other, Ambrose ambled over to Ahamo, who stuck out his hand warmly. Ambrose reached out to shake his hand, almost proud of himself for his deed. Ahamo smiled for second before jerking Ambrose closer to him, the smile still resting firmly on his face, despite a playfully devious glimmer in his eyes.

"And you thought Mr. Cain was your biggest concern..."

Ambrose gulped but managed to keep his composure intact this time, forcing out a good natured chuckle.

'_What am I get myself into?_'

::END::

* * *

Woo hoo! Okay, this kinda went in a whole other direction than originally intended, with a ton more agnst. But I'm glad y'all came along for the ride. I have an idea for a little one shot flaff piece. Anyhoo, I'm going to give myself time to recoup before I start on that. Mucho mucho gracias to Lady of the Willows, who I think I might have angered because of my love of meat. Either way, I owe her a lot. Lemme know what you think, now that it's all over!


End file.
